Conclusion
We must get to know Jesus more deeply. We must realize the truth that the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the most valuable (Phil. 3:8). Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn. 1:14). Jesus, who became the “Word,” is self-existent (Exod. 3:14) and was with God the Father, and this Word is God (Jn. 1:1). God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one (Trinity God). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, has the attributes that only God has, and also does what only God can do. The Bible says that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God and are all equal, and that God is one. In other words, the Bible says that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons and one God. Jesus, “the Word” God, the perfect God without beginning, the perfect man, the eternal man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and became “flesh” (man) through the virgin Mary, the descendant of a woman. Its purpose is to dwell among us, to be a mediator between God and us, and to be a peace offering. Therefore, Jesus, the Word became flesh, had a beginning (birth) and an end (death) on this earth. The purpose is to make us, who have a beginning and an end on this earth, who are spiritually dead and eternally dead, become eternal people who live forever in the eternal kingdom of heaven, where there is no beginning and no end. Therefore, we must have confidence that the Word became flesh. We must live a victorious life in which we fight and overcome spiritual warfare with the power of God by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the perfect God, perfect man, and eternal man. And we must imitate Jesus and live a life of service. We live a life of service, but like Jesus, we must live a life of service that can support our lives. In other words, we must serve until death like Jesus (Phil. 2:8).
Matthew 20:28 says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” This word refers to the suffering of Jesus Christ in a broad sense. Jesus Christ became a man and suffered while he lived on earth for 33 years. The suffering of Jesus is not only the death of the cross at the age of 33, but also suffered when He was young. In other words, when Jesus was young, He experienced a life of refuge (Mt. 2:13-18). The reason Jesus, who came to this earth to die at God's appointed time (Gal. 4:4), fled to Egypt was because God's appointed time to die was not yet come. During his 33-year life on earth, Jesus often fled and hid Himself, because the time for his death appointed by God had not yet come. Then, Jesus died at the time appointed by God (Rom. 5:6). But before that, Jesus said that He would die in Jerusalem, the place appointed by God (Mt. 16:21). Jesus not only said that the place where He would die was Jerusalem, but also said, ‘He must be raised up on the third day” (v. 21). In other words, Jesus prophesied that He would be resurrected on the third day after His death. Then, in the process of fulfilling the prophecy, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, suffered, and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk. 22:39-46): “Abba, Father, … everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mk. 14:36). Jesus prayed very fervently (Lk. 22:44). He prayed until Heavenly Father answered (Mt. 26:42, 44). After receiving an answer to His prayer, Jesus boldly went out against the evil horde that came to capture Him and His 11 disciples (Mt. 26:46). The Lord's amazing power (authority) appeared (Jn. 18:4-6). In this way, after Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, when a large crowd came to arrest Him, He was able to escape. But He did not escape and was captured. And Jesus was tried by Pilate, the Roman governor (Jn. 18:28-19:16). Pilate, knowing that Jesus was innocent (Jn.:18:38; 19:4, 6), tried four times to let Jesus go, but failed (19:12; Lk. 23:23). So eventually, he sentenced Jesus to be crucified. Then the chief priests had two other criminals [the two vicious robbers (Mt 27:38, 44; Mk 15:27)] go to Golgotha with Jesus. The reason was to let the crowd know that Jesus was the same person as those two robbers. And Jesus was crucified with two robbers, and then passers-by, along with the chief priests, the scribes, and elders, insulted and mocked Jesus. Why was crucified Jesus ridiculed, mocked, and insulted? It was because of our sins. Jesus suffered all the ridicule, mock, and insults we deserve. Jesus said seven words on the cross: (1) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34), (2) “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise” (23:43), (3) “Woman, behold, your son!” (Jn. 19:26), (4) “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (this word means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) (Mt. 27:46), (5) “I am thirsty” (Jn. 19:28), (6) “It is finished” (v. 30), (7) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk. 23:46). After Jesus had thus spoken His seven words, He was crucified and died. Jesus, who died and was buried for our sins according to the Scriptures, rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess.4:13-17). In this way, Jesus, who came to this earth at God's appointed time (Gal. 4:4) and who died at God's appointed time (Rom. 5:6), will return to this earth at God's appointed time (1 Tim. 6:14-15). Jesus, who came to this earth to fulfill God's will, fulfilled God’s will at God's time. We, too, must imitate Jesus and do God's will in God's time.